Uniqlo parent teams up with logistics firm Daifuku

By

Benjamin Fitzgerald

Published
Oct 9, 2018

Fast Retailing, which operates the popular Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo, said on Tuesday it was teaming up with logistics company Daifuku Co in a global strategic partnership aimed at delivering products faster to customers.

The logistics company Daifuku has agreed to help automate Fast Retailing's Ariake warehouse in Tokyo, which the Japanese retailer opened in 2016 to cut down on inventory management and production lead times, and to bolster its online business.

The fast-fashion chain, which has set a target of ¥3 trillion in net sales, said the partnership will "reform and improve logistics systems," and will involve forming a collective logistics team made up of employees from both firms.

"The two companies will carefully evaluate the current status of distribution, and develop innovative and revolutionary logistics systems in order to deliver products to customers faster," said Fast Retailing, in a statement.

The news comes as Fast Retailing announced in late September a partnership with Google Cloud’s new Advanced Solutions Lab in Tokyo, to translate customer desires into products and services faster.

For the month of September, Fast Retailing reported its Uniqlo brand's like-for-like sales rose by as much as 6%. Total sales, including online turnover, were also up 5.4% during the month.